Weighted exercise ball

ABSTRACT

A weighted exercise ball including a weighted, filled core and a plurality of fronds, fringes, or strips radiating from the core. The fringes allow for superior grippability of the ball, which is ideal for training or rehabilitating elderly or injured persons who may not otherwise be able to grip a typical exercise ball or medicine ball. In a preferred embodiment, the weighted core is filled with sand and the fringes extend between two and six inches away from the core.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/888,789 filed Oct. 9, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to exercise equipment, and in particular to a weighted exercise ball with radially-extending fringes for grasping by a user.

2. Description of the Related Art

Sports trainers, physical therapists and fitness trainers use a variety of equipment for weight and resistance training For example, is well known that increasing movement resistance strengthens musculature, increases aerobic activity and otherwise provides effective strength, speed and endurance training and conditioning. A wide variety of equipment is available for this purpose, ranging from free weights to relatively sophisticated exercise machines.

Weighted exercise balls have also been used to an advantage. For example, “medicine balls” are typically relatively heavy for their size and include dense cores. Medicine balls can be lifted, swung, tossed and otherwise involved in exercise and training routines.

The problem with existing medicine balls and weighted exercise balls is that their inherent shape and properties stemming from typical materials used to construct the balls makes them difficult to grip for elderly or ailing people. People recovering from disabilities, injuries, or simply ailing from arthritis or old age may find it difficult to grip a standard exercise ball, thereby eliminating what would otherwise be a very effective tool for rehabilitation and exercise. What is needed is a weighted exercise ball that provides an improved surface for gripping the ball.

Heretofore there has not been available a weighted exercise ball with the advantages and features of the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the practice of the present invention, a weighted exercise ball is provided which includes multiple soft, graspable fingers or fringes projecting therefrom. The central core of the ball includes a durable housing filled with a weighted substance, such as sand. The housing would be constructed of rubber or other suitable materials. A plurality of fringes or fingers radiate from the housing. These fringes must be of a thickness thin enough to allow human fingers to easily slip between individual fringes, but thick enough to remain durable and prevent breaking when the ball is in use. The fringes may be thin strips of material, such as cloth, rubber, or leather, or they may be cylindrical or any other suitable shape. The fringes may be formed from the same material as the housing, or a different material. The fringes may be attached to the core in any of numerous ways, such as being formed from the same material, being sewn or tied into the housing, or being tied around the housing. The fringes may be of any suitable length to facilitate gripping, but should not be so long that they could become obtrusive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing constitutes a part of this specification and includes an exemplary embodiment of the present invention illustrating various objects and features thereof.

FIG. 1 shows an exercise ball embodying an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof.

FIG. 3A is a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a detailed cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS I. Introduction and Environment

As required, detailed aspects of the present invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed aspects are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, up, down, front, back, right and left refer to the invention as orientated in the view being referred to. The words, “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the aspect being described and designated parts thereof. Forwardly and rearwardly are generally in reference to the direction of travel, if appropriate. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar meaning. Specific to the present invention, the terms exercise ball, weighted ball, or medicine ball all refer to a ball primarily used for exercise or rehabilitation purposes.

II. Preferred Embodiment Weighted Exercise Ball 2

The weighted exercise ball 2 of the present invention can be constructed using a variety of different materials and construction techniques. Without limitation, U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,529, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a ball comprised of multiple strips of flexible, resilient material. The strips are secured together at approximately their midpoints, thus forming a generally spherical configuration. The protruding strips can be grasped by a user.

The weighted exercise ball 2 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, can be easily lifted, thrown, caught and swung while remaining in the firm grasp of the user. The exercise ball 2 preferably encloses a weighted material core 6 surrounded by a core housing 8, which can comprise a variety of materials suitable for attachment to the individual strips or strands 4. The core material can be chosen for its density to provide the preferred level of resistance and exercise benefit. The housing 8 is preferably compressible and flexible whereby impacts with individuals and objects have little or no effect. The weighted material 6 is preferably sand or some other cheap, forgiving substance which adds weight to the ball. FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the exercise ball 2, showing how the housing 8 surrounds the weighted material core 6, and is connected to by the various strands 4

In operation, the weighted exercise ball can be swung through a wide range of motions by a person in training Most of the body's primary muscle groups can be involved in such exercise activity, including the core, arms, legs, etc. For example, grasping the weighted exercise ball with both hands and rotating from side-to-side tends to work the abdominal core muscles, the arms, legs, and other muscle groups. The number of repetitions, duration, intensity, and ball weight are all variables, which can determine the intensity level and benefit derived from the exercise program.

FIG. 3A shows how the strands 4 may be long, cylindrical fringes made of the same material as the housing 8, or a similar suitable material such as rubber, cloth, or leather. FIG. 3B shows an alternative arrangement where the fringes 14 are long flat strips of material, such as rubber, cloth, or leather.

The fringes 4 may be affixed to the core housing 8 because they are formed of the same material, or they may be sewn or otherwise permanently affixed to the core. Another option would be to simply knot a plurality of fringes around the central core housing 8 causing them to bundle together and affix themselves around the core housing 8.

Other options include having the fringes 4 located on two opposite sides of the core 8, which would only allow for superior gripping of the ball 2 at the two locations where the fringes are located. The remaining exterior of the core housing 8 would be exposed.

The improvement over existing exercise balls is immediately clear. This invention allows users to easily grip the ball 2 by interlacing the user's fingers into the fringes 4. Even a person with very weak grip would be able to hold onto the ball with the assistance of the fringes.

It is to be understood that while certain embodiments and/or aspects of the invention have been shown and described, the invention is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects. 

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
 1. An exercise ball comprising: a flexible, hollow central core; a weighted filling located within said central core; a plurality of flexible, durable fringes radiating away from said central core, said fringes configured to be gripped; and wherein said fringes have a length between one and six inches in length.
 2. The exercise ball of claim 1, wherein the outer ends of at least some of the fringes include enlargements.
 3. The exercise ball of claim 1, wherein the surfaces of said fringes have frictioning characteristics.
 4. The exercise ball of claim 1, wherein said fringes comprise the same material as said central core.
 5. The exercise ball of claim 1, wherein said fringes are sewn into said central core.
 6. The exercise ball of claim 5, wherein said fringes comprise a material selected from the list comprising: leather, burlap, cloth, rubber, and plastic.
 7. The exercise ball of claim 1, wherein said weighted filling comprises a material selected from the list comprising: sand, water, rubber pellets, plastic pellets, metallic pellets and cloth filling.
 8. The exercise ball of claim 1, wherein said fringes comprise strips of material permanently affixed to said central core.
 9. An exercise ball comprising: a flexible, hollow central core; a weighted filling located within said central core; plural, elongate, floppy, tiny-diameter, elastomeric fringes, each having a cross-sectional dimension which is extremely small in relation to its length, said fringes radiating in plural angularly offset planes in a dense, bushy configuration from said core to form a generally spherical object, with the fringes being sufficiently dense and floppy that a large plurality thereof tend to thread their way between adjacent fingers of a user's hand upon contact of the filaments with the hand during an exercise routine; and wherein said fringes have a length between one and six inches in length.
 10. The exercise ball of claim 9, wherein the outer ends of at least some of the fringes include enlargements.
 11. The exercise ball of claim 9, wherein the surfaces of said fringes have frictioning characteristics.
 12. The exercise ball of claim 9, wherein said fringes comprise the same material as said central core.
 13. The exercise ball of claim 9, wherein said fringes are sewn into said central core.
 14. The exercise ball of claim 13, wherein said fringes comprise a material selected from the list comprising: leather, burlap, cloth, rubber, and plastic.
 15. The exercise ball of claim 9, wherein said weighted filling comprises a material selected from the list comprising: sand, water, rubber pellets, plastic pellets, metallic pellets and cloth filling. 